Children of the Sun
by MakoHeadrush
Summary: It's been many years since Zack died, giving his life for Cloud's. The blond hero has finally moved on with a new life and a new love – and a family, raising the child Zack left behind as his own. Reno struggles with his own conflicted feelings over an old unrequited love while trying to hold onto his new life and love. Sequel to Pictures of You.
1. Talking In Your Sleep

**Hello dear readers! I've had some ideas brewing for a while for a sequel to** Pictures of You**, which has been one of my most popular fanfics to date since I started writing these little stories. So, here we begin; this takes place some time after the epilogue – chapter 31 of Pictures of You. While it's not necessary to read that story in its entirety before starting this one, it might be helpful to read the last two chapters or so – or at the very least, the epilogue. My readers can always send a PM if they have a question about the plot or anything like that.**

**So….here we go! **

**Summary: It's many years since Zack died, giving his life for Cloud's. The blond hero has finally moved on with a new life and a new love – and a family, raising the child Zack left behind as his own. Something unexpected happens to rock Cloud's world, and he's not sure how he feels about it. Reno struggles with his own conflicted feelings over an old unrequited love, still wondering what might have been.**

**Usual disclaimer: Don't own FFVII or its characters, wish I did. This is written for fun and not profit.**

**Warnings for this chapter: MATURE CONTENT, profanity, lemon. And Reno, who carries his own warning, really.**

* * *

Chapter 1 - Talking in your sleep

The years had passed since Zack's death, and despite the fact that the SOLDIER no longer was among the living, Cloud continued to communicate with his spirit. Zack came to Cloud in a vision quite suddenly and jarringly one evening, shortly after Cloud had gone through the last of Zack's personal effects. After Cloud read every single one of those old letters, all written in Zack's own hand, it was as if the invisible wall Cloud had put up had suddenly come crashing down. Cloud found that he could _talk_ to Zack after that; he'd always felt his dead lover's presence every now and then, but it was a fleeting sensation, more of a sense that Zack was in his thoughts.

But now, Cloud found he could actually converse with Zack – as could Sky. It was a wonderful thing to be able to share with Cloud's last real link to Zack – his daughter. Talking about these visitations with Sky, knowing she was experiencing the same things too, Cloud felt a little less crazy.

Cloud knew too, that Reno sometimes felt left out, mainly because he didn't share this bond with Zack that Cloud and Sky had. Reno found that he felt like a fifth wheel at times, although Cloud had never intended to make him feel that way. The Turk drove him mad at times and they'd had their ups and downs in the years they'd been together, just as any couple might – but the love was always there.

Then, the visitations from Zack progressed even further into something palpable, when Cloud realized he could feel Zack materializing around him. It wasn't something as solid as the touch of a lover's hand, or a snug embrace; but the sensation was there just the same. Cloud could feel Zack all around him, enveloping him. He felt guilty about these stolen moments with his deceased lover; so much so that he kept it a secret from Reno. It did not go unnoticed, either; Reno noticed Cloud starting to withdraw and pull away from him at times, though he didn't know yet the reason for it.

Things came to a head one evening when Cloud was deep in sleep, dreaming a very pleasant dream about himself and Zack in bed together, both very worked up. Though asleep, Cloud's body reacted as though it was really happening, and soon he began softly moaning and moving about, touching himself as he kept on dreaming. Reno woke briefly, smiling as he heard his lover stirring, imagining what sort of erotic dreams he might be having, hoping they could re-enact said dreams when they were both awake the following morning.

Reno continued to watch Cloud as he moaned and writhed in his sleep, feeling a bit like a guilty voyeur, but smiling just the same. "Must be some dream you're having, babe," Reno whispered, leaning in toward Cloud. "Sounds like we're both having a pretty good time."

Reno looped an arm around Cloud's waist, who sleepily turned toward his lover, brushing his lips against the Turks' bare shoulder.

"I love you, Zack," Cloud murmured sleepily. "That was incredible – " His words trailed off into a happy murmur and he buried his face in Reno's shoulder.

Reno froze, and roughly shoved Cloud off. "What the _fuck_?" Reno snapped, feeling hurt and jealous. Cloud woke immediately, sitting up with a confused, bewildered look on his face.

"What's wrong, Reno?" Cloud asked, placing a hand over his shoulder. Reno whirled around, snarling, pushing Cloud's hand off.

"What's wrong, he asks," Reno snapped, a bitter grin on his face. "What's _wrong_, is that - you know what, never mind, Cloud! Look, I know Zack was the love of your life. Maybe this was a mistake from the beginning, you and I. Maybe I should just fucking _go_ – "

"Keep your voice down," Cloud hissed. "You'll wake up Sky. Reno, I have no idea what you're so upset about! All I know is that I was asleep, and I wake up to you in a bad fucking mood, yelling at me. What's up your ass, anyway?"

"I could ask you the same thing, except I already know the answer," Reno shot back angrily. "He's been visiting you again, hasn't he?"

"_Who's_ been visiting me?" Feeling clueless as to Reno's sudden rage and utterly exasperated, Cloud ran his hands through his hair, making it stand on end wildly as he turned to glare at Reno. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about _Zack_!" Reno shouted, smacking his arm. "You were just moaning his name in your sleep, Cloud! Telling him what a great _lover_ he was – "

Cloud flinched, his eyes first widening in surprise, and then narrowing as he turned to glare at Reno, their faces just inches apart.

"Don't," Cloud spat angrily. "Don't you dare put this on me. Like I can control my dreams, Reno? So what! I had a dream about Zack, it just happens!"

"And it also 'just happens' that Zack visits you," Reno countered. "Both you and Sky. You told me you can still talk to him and shit, and I know Sky does too, she said so!" The Turks' words were tumbling out even faster as he sputtered angrily, the hurt pouring out like blood from an open wound.

"You're acting like a jealous child," Cloud snapped, though he felt inexplicably guilty. He was hurting Reno, he didn't know how, but it wasn't anything intentional. "Just _shut up,_" he added unkindly.

Reno stared at Cloud angrily, his rage beginning to quell as he realized how ridiculous and jealous he sounded. He felt suddenly ashamed of himself for yelling at Cloud and berating him, for no good reason. _Gods. I'm jealous of a dead man,_ Reno thought guiltily, shaking his head. _I've got to be better than that._

"Look…I don't want to fight anymore," Reno finally said, conceding after a few moments of awkward silence between the two of them. "Besides….like you said, all this arguing's just gonna wake up Sky. I'm….I'm sorry." Reno's face was contrite enough that Cloud knew the apology was sincere.

"Me too. I really don't want to fight either," Cloud admitted, leaning into Reno's side and sighing.

"Listen…" He cocked his head toward the window, straining to hear. "Winds have died down. You think the storm's over?" A blizzard had rolled through Midgar-Edge the evening before, bringing down a foot of snow as everyone slept. Now it seemed unusually quiet outside; there were no sounds of traffic or the usual hustle and bustle one would expect to hear in the morning in the city.

"Quiet out there," Cloud mused, smiling. "Guess we're snowed in."

"Mmhmm," Reno murmured, smiling as he nestled himself in the crook of Cloud's shoulder. "Good. I got the day off anyways, yo. You weren't planning on making deliveries today, were ya Cloud?" the Turk asked his lover, cocking his head to the side. Reno was dubious that Fenrir, as solid as the motorcycle was, would be able to get through the deep snow. The motorcycle was practically a two-wheeled _tank_ with all the customizations Cloud had done to it, but it would probably get stuck in the deep snow.

Cloud shrugged his shoulders and rolled out of the bed with a grunt, shuffling over to the window. Peering out, he noticed how everything seemed so much brighter, with the moon reflecting off of the newly-fallen snow. It looked like an alien landscape, especially in Midgar-Edge where it rarely snowed.

"Streets aren't exactly passable," Cloud told Reno, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. Reno leaned back into the nest of pillows, grinning lewdly, ogling his lover's body. He watched Cloud's abdominal muscles flexing as the swordsman strode back toward the bed. Suddenly Reno forgot all about being angry with Cloud just moments before.

"Come back to bed," Reno pleaded, patting the empty space next to him. "I wanna ravage you," he added, smirking.

Cloud snorted. "Just a few minutes ago you were ready to walk out - "

"Let's not talk about that anymore, huh?" Reno's face reddened, and he gave Cloud a sheepish look as he pulled his lover close, straddling him. "I - I didn't mean it, yo. I got pissed, and I know it's stupid to be jealous of him - "

"You don't have to be jealous, Reno," Cloud tried to sound reassuring. "Zack's _gone_," he said softly. "Zack's gone...but you're here. You and Sky, you're my family now, my _life_. Why do you think I'd ever betray that? I'm sorry if I said Zack's name in my sleep," Cloud went on, attempting an apology. "But it was just a _dream_, Reno. Nothing more." He felt his head spin a bit as flashes of memory popped up, assaulting his senses. Zack's presence all around him, and _inside_ of him - His face flushed as he remembered the more explicit details of his subconscious sexual romp with Zack.

_No,_ Cloud told himself firmly. _Just a dream. It was just a dream._ Maybe the more he told himself that, the more he would start to believe it. _But what else could it be?_

"I know ya wouldn't betray us, Cloud," Reno lay on top of the swordsman, kissing him gently as he murmured a heartfelt apology. "I'm sorry. It's just - I _love_ you. I know I don't say it enough, and then I go and act like a dick. I just - aw, nevermind." Reno clammed up very suddenly, sighing sadly. He pulled himself off of Cloud and rolled over to his side, turning his back toward his lover.

"No, what? Come on...tell me," Cloud prodded, tugging at Reno's shoulder. It wasn't like Reno to keep things to himself; if anything, the Turk was often guilty of oversharing, not just with Cloud, but with _everyone_.

"Naw...ah, it's stupid," Reno muttered, half-turning over to face Cloud, whose eyes were full of genuine concern for his lover. "I just - feel like I'll never measure up to those standards. I'll never be...like Zack. He was the love of your life, yeah?" he added with an embarrassed, self-deprecating little laugh. "See. Told you...it was stupid."

Cloud shook his head and groaned, leaning on one elbow as he studied Reno. He kissed him, trailing his lips over the bright red tattoos over Reno's cheekbones, smiling as he felt the Turk shudder with each kiss.

"Your feelings aren't stupid," Cloud whispered, stroking Reno's hair. "But...trying to compare yourself to Zack kind of _is_. I know you're not him - and I don't _want_ you to be him. I fell in love with you because of who _you_ are. This isn't a competition."

Reno gasped as he felt Cloud's weight settle on top him, and he caught him in a tight embrace, kissing him roughly. "Still amazes me to this day that ya did fall for me," Reno quipped, one hand slipping down to tug at Cloud's boxers. "Get 'em off," he commanded in a sultry growl.

"Gods, you're as impatient as ever," Cloud muttered, chuckling. He groaned as his boxers were pulled off and tossed to the side, his quiet laugh quickly morphing into a pleasured moan as Reno insistently stroked him. The Turk's long fingers were wrapped around Cloud's cock, tightening his grip as he increased his tempo; long, slow strokes were soon followed by quick, rough ones.

Cloud braced himself, placing his hands on Reno's shoulders, bucking his hips in time with the motion of Reno's stroking fingers.

"Fuck," Cloud hissed through his teeth, and Reno grinned.

"I was kind of hopin' for that," Reno drawled, reaching one hand up to grip the back of Cloud's neck, drawing him in for a kiss.

"You're horrible," Cloud muttered half-heartedly. His sword-calloused hands slid down Reno's thighs, pushing them up and apart, leaving the Turk feeling insatiable with need.

Reno quickly glanced behind Cloud's head, toward the closed bedroom door, a questioning look on his face. "Is it - ?" he began, and Cloud nodded, anticipating the question.

"Locked? Yeah...yeah...it is," Cloud assured Reno, kissing his neck as he slowly pushed into his lover, gasping at the tight grip around his cock. "Didn't - want any close calls...with Sky walking in..." Cloud's voice trailed off into a harsh cry as he pistoned his hips, rolling thrusts that drove Reno to beg for _more, harder, faster, deeper._

"Shit," Reno muttered, his sweat-slicked forehead bumping against Cloud's, crimson bangs matted and sticking damply to his skin. "Gods, Cloud - "

Cloud's eyes were tightly shut, and he was making that weird little humming noise he always did, a sort of warning to Reno that he was about to come, and come hard.

It was a noise Reno would never tire of hearing, one of those little idiosyncrasies he'd come to love about the man. Gripping his own member tightly to stave off his climax, Reno could hold back no longer; he relaxed his fingers and began furiously stroking himself, stomach clenching as he tried to regain some sort of control, but it was soon shattered as he felt Cloud spilling inside of him. He found his own release moments later, like a white-hot rolling boil that coursed throughout his body.

Relaxed and languid afterward, both utterly silent as they struggled to catch their breath, Reno and Cloud lay there entangled for a few minutes, not wanting to move. Reno caught Cloud's lips in a deep kiss, groaning into his open mouth, the sound one of utter bliss and satisfaction.

It had never been like this with anyone else, Reno mused. He'd never felt so grounded, so connected with another human being the way he did with Cloud.

_Not even Dill_ \- Reno thought briefly of his long-dead lover, the cadet who'd been a balm to his broken heart once he'd realized Zack had moved on from their mutual crush on one another, the First Class SOLDIER setting his sights on Cloud. Reno felt guilty even thinking about Dill in that moment; the cadet had his own heart crushed as well when Cloud didn't reciprocate _his_ feelings.

Reno gave himself a mental head-slap when he found his thoughts wandering away from what he had right there in front of him, and shifted his attentions back to his lover. This was all that mattered now, not the past - nor regrets over what might have been with Zack, if only things had turned out differently - but they hadn't.

_Can't go back and relive the past_, Reno told himself firmly. _Neither one of us can...we're both where we're supposed to be right now_, he thought, glancing over at Cloud, who was now beginning to doze off.

_Aren't we?_

* * *

"We should do something fun today, huh?" Reno suggested later that morning once they'd finally gotten out of bed. He'd been trying to put his mind off of their argument the night before, focusing instead on the more pleasurable moments they'd shared after their spat.

After the storm system had departed the area, the city was brought to a near standstill. A foot of snow was now covering the ground - a rare snowstorm had hid Midgar-Edge, normally a moderately temperate climate. Schools were announced to be closed for the next two days while road crews dealt with the removal of snow. Even the Turks were excused from duty that day, 'unless an emergency comes up', Tseng had warned them.

As for Cloud's deliveries, being snowed in made travel by motorcycle impossible until the roads were fully cleared. Cloud was glad for a break in things; he'd been working overtime in the past month delivering packages during the holiday rush.

"Sounds good to me," Cloud replied, stretching lazily next to Reno in their bed, smiling a bit as he leaned into his lover's side. It was rare they got to sleep in like this, and Cloud wanted to savor it. He'd had felt disconnected from Reno lately, with Zack so much on his mind. Cloud looped an arm around Reno's waist, kissing his bare shoulder - yet there was a frown on his face as he lay back on his pillow, as though he puzzling through something.

"Something wrong, Cloud?" Reno asked softly, noticing the frown. "You've been kind of quiet lately. Well, except for last night when you were screaming my name," he added, grinning in that goofy way he always did when he was teasing Cloud.

_We'd been happy, _Reno silently mused, looking worriedly at his lover. _At least...I thought we were. Even though our friends thought it wouldn't work out, the hero and the Turk. I can't help but worry though, it feels like Cloud's shutting me out lately...and I don't like it._

"Come on, talk to me," Reno urged. He rolled over on his side to look at Cloud, his hand grazing his lover's chest in an idle fashion. "We promised we wouldn't keep shit from each other, right?"

"Right," Cloud replied robotically. He shifted a bit and sighed, turning over on his side to face Reno. It had been an unlikely match, but they'd been making it work for the past year.

_Hadn't we been making it work?_ Reno worried silently, looking to Cloud to see if he'd reveal what was on his mind.

Reno became Cloud's friend first, then his lover - then a quasi-stepfather to Sky, Zack's daughter whom Cloud was raising on his own. They were becoming a family - maybe an unconventional one, but a family nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, Reno," Cloud finally answered, pulling Reno into a snuggle. He pressed his lips against the side of his lover's neck, inhaling his scent and his warmth. "I've missed this, you know - just...us. I've had a lot on my mind lately, I guess. I'm sorry if I've been out of it." Cloud's face flushed red as he felt a bit of guilt over just _what_ had been on his mind lately.

"What's been on your mind?" Reno asked quietly, laying his head in the crook of Cloud's shoulder.

_Zack_. "Nothing, really," Cloud lied. "Just...work. Trying to keep up with customers and everything."

"Oh," Reno said dully. He didn't entirely believe Cloud - being one of the Turks' best profilers, Reno could read Cloud like a book, and even with how introverted he was. He laughed softly, groaning a bit as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Maybe we need a vacation," Reno suggested, to which Cloud shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

"I can't really take any time off right now," Cloud replied. It was a weak argument, and he knew it. "Today...I'm going to lose a bit of gil today even, but there's no way I can drive Fenrir until the roads are plowed. I don't like cancelling deliveries on my clients," he added firmly. "It's not good for business."

"You don't need to work as hard as you do, Cloud," Reno began to argue. "Take some time off, yo! We can make it on my salary - "

"I _need_ to work, Reno," Cloud snapped. "I don't want to just be a house-husband, I want to feel _useful_."

Reno groaned and sat up in the bed, stretching his arms over his head, yawning. "Let's not start arguing again...not after last night," he said softly. "All I'm saying, is...you've been so quiet and withdrawn lately, and I'm not the only one who sees it. Even Sky's starting to notice."

Cloud had a defensive retort ready on the tip of his tongue for Reno - until he brought up Sky. "She...she has?" He cocked an ear toward the door; the little girl was just starting to wake up herself, Cloud could hear her moving around in her bedroom down the hallway, humming and singing to herself.

"Yeah, she has," Reno replied, glaring. His eyes narrowed as he went on. "She's been asking, 'why's papa Cloud so sad? Doesn't he love us anymore?' I assured her that no, of course Cloud loves you, but now I'm starting to wonder myself!" His voice rose up bitterly, but Reno just looked at Cloud sadly, shaking his head.

"Damn it," Cloud muttered. "Damn it - Reno, I'm sorry. I just - sometimes I just shut down, and I - " They were the same litany of excuses he'd used with Tifa when they'd tried - and failed - to make a go of it. He'd even done the same thing with Zack when they were lovers, so many years ago. He'd feel the world come crashing in on him, and build up walls, retreating behind them while he licked his metaphorical wounds. It wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism, but it was all Cloud knew.

"I just suck at relationships," Cloud finished, and Reno gave a dry laugh.

"Everyone does," Reno assured him. "C'mere, yo." He pulled Cloud over to his side of the bed and framed his face with his hands, kissing him softly. Reno smiled as he slowly pulled away from the tender kiss. "Nobody's perfect at relationships, ya know. It's hard work, man. And having to put up with _you_, sometimes it's even _harder_," he added teasingly.

"Thanks a lot, Reno," Cloud said dryly, raising an eyebrow. Reno chuckled, cuffing the swordsman lightly on the arm.

"And I ain't perfect either," Reno continued. "Pretty fucking far from it. Just - don't give up on us, Cloud. Even when we argue or fight, we always come back to each other after, yeah?"

"Yeah...we do. And I won't give up," Cloud promised. "Not giving up on us." He turned his head at the sound of the bedroom door opening, and grinned as Sky came bounding in, launching herself onto the bed. Reno immediately began tickling the little girl until she erupted into a fit of giggles.

_Gods, she even laughs like Zack -_ Cloud smiled as he watched his daughter and Reno laughing together, and then wrapped her in a bear hug when she clambered over to him.

"Daddy!" Sky exclaimed, her smile as wide as her namesake. Cloud grinned, ruffling her messy blue-black hair.

"Good morning, Sky," Cloud said softly. He hugged her again tightly, pressing his nose against her locks. Her hair, in various stages of bedhead and disarray, still smelled of lavender and vanilla from her bubble bath the night before.

It was true, Cloud suddenly thought, what his mama had said long ago when he'd asked her what it felt like to be a parent. Of course she'd jumped right on that, thinking that her only son was thinking about starting a family - which he hadn't been. Cloud had only been ruminating on it when he'd enlisted for the military academy, wondering how torn up his mother would be once he was actually gone. It had only been the two of them for so long, and while Cloud's mother did her best to let her son grow up to be independent, mother and son still shared a very close bond.

_Well, Cloudy...it feels like a piece of your heart got ripped out of your body. Then you get to see that little piece of your heart live on outside of your body. Your child...they are a part of your soul. They are their own person, of course but always, always, they are still a part of your heart, deep inside. You know, it ached sometimes in my own heart, to see you get bigger. To know that one day you would not need your mama anymore, that one day you would be a man and leave here to see the world._

He'd thought back then, that his mother only told him that in order to lay a major guilt trip on him for his decision to leave Nibelheim for Midgar. But Cloud never forgot her words, holding onto them over the years when he wondered if he might someday have a family of his own. He wondered if his own heart was capable of such a thing, something so strong as a mother's love. To love someone so much, and to have the strength to let them go when they were ready to find their own way in the world, and inn life.

It turned out that Cloud's heart was capable of enough love for a child, when Sky fell into his life and Zack's so unexpectedly. The little girl that clung to him now had changed Cloud in ways he couldn't quite explain, not even to himself. He loved Sky as deeply as he'd ever loved anyone - as much as he loved Reno, or Zack. Even better was the knowledge that the love of a child was unconditional. She gave her heart so freely to everyone around her, even to Reno

Cloud glanced over Sky's little black-haired head toward Reno, who was smiling at them both. Cloud vowed then and there that he would make it better, despite the ache his heart still held for Zack. Zack was gone, and this was his family now. He owed it to both of them to get both his head and his heart out of the past. If only Zack's presence hadn't felt so strong lately, stronger than ever, Cloud might not find himself constantly going down memory lane.

"Want to do something fun today?" Cloud asked Sky, tousling her hair a bit which drew a small protest from the little girl. "There's no school, after all."

"Aw, man!" Sky grumbled, frowning. "No school? But I _like_ school!"

"Sky...you're the only kid I know who'd complain about not having school because of a snow day!" Reno chuckled. "Eh, let's get some breakfast, and then head out. Bet we'll see some of your school friends out there anyway!"

"You really think so?" Sky asked, brightening. "Okay...I'm gonna go get my things! Wait for me!"

Reno's eyes followed Sky as she bounded down the hallway, back toward her bedroom, and he grinned happily. The grin froze as his gaze caught Cloud's, staring back at him uneasily. They stepped toward each other awkwardly, almost nervously, meeting in the center of the room.

It hurt Reno to the core, thinking he saw that flickering shadow doubt in Cloud's eyes - but was it really? Reno was one of the best profilers to ever come through the ranks of the Turks, but right now he couldn't even read his own lover, and he cursed his inability to do so. Cloud could be so guarded, so closed off; it was how he'd survived, his defense mechanism.

"...we're good, right Cloud?" Reno asked him, both fearing and anxiously anticipating the reply.

Cloud nodded, reaching a hand up towards Reno's face, his thumb tracing over the cheekbone tattoos that had intrigued him since the moment they'd met. He'd eventually learned the story behind the facial marks and their origins, and it was a tale that nobody outside of the Turks themselves really knew. Reno had kept tight-lipped about his past, about all of it - until the time came where he'd let Cloud into his heart, and the quiet hero had reciprocated.

"We're good, Reno," Cloud said quietly. He felt like an asshole, really - was it _really_ cheating if he thought about Zack in that way every now and then? Even in his dreams, when he couldn't help it? Cloud's mind raced, feeling as if his thoughts and memories were betraying him; perhaps even threatening the happiness he'd finally found with Reno.

"We're _good_," Cloud repeated, more to convince himself rather than Reno. "...I promise." Despite the firmness of his words, they sounded hollow and dull to Cloud's own ears, and he suddenly felt odd and tired. He sucked in his breath, staring out the window at the leaden winter sky.

"It'll be good to get out for a bit, yeah?" Reno said softly, not liking the troubled shadow he saw surfacing once again in Cloud's eyes. _Come on, Cloud...look at me! Look at me the way you used to!_

"Sure," Cloud mumbled. "Just..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I wish Zack was here."

"Well," Reno shot back, glaring coldly at Cloud. "Guess I know how I rate."

Cloud's eyes widened for a moment before it hit him, how utterly tactless he'd sounded. "Gods...I didn't mean it like that!" _Or did I?_

"I only meant..." Cloud stammered, red-faced and flustered. "I wish...Zack could take his daughter sledding. I don't mean - "

"I get it, Cloud," Reno snapped. "I get it. Sometimes...I wish he was here too. I cared about him long before you even met him, you know. But I could never compete with you. He fell for ya the minute he saw ya, I know he did."

"Compete?" Cloud stared at Reno in disbelief. He had no idea Reno had felt this way; he'd never said so. Zack had never mentioned Reno as anything other than a 'good friend.' "Reno...explain. What do you mean, compete? Why would you have to compete with me?" The meaning of Reno's words was suddenly starting to sink in, and Cloud felt guilty and awful.

"Oh gods...you were in love with him too?" Cloud whispered. Reno only nodded in reply, and looked away.

"Yeah..." Reno shrugged. "I guess I was." He wouldn't say anything further, not then; Reno didn't want to hurt Cloud anymore than he'd already done.

* * *

It had been a fun-filled day just the three of them, and upon their return home from a day of sledding, Sky asked for cocoa, and Cloud went off to the kitchen to make three mugs full. Reno, along with the others, had removed his water-logged snow gear, changing into some dry clothing. Back downstairs, Reno got a fire started in the stone fireplace, sighing happily once he got a roaring flame going.

Reno warmed his hands by the fire, shivering from the bone-chilling cold that he felt all throughout his body as he drew closer to the warmth. Sky was in her pajamas now, seated some distance from the fire, unaffected by the cold temperatures.

"Sky?" Reno called to the little girl. "Aren't you cold? You can sit near me, if ya want - "

Sky laughed and shook her head no. "I never get cold, silly!" She reminded Reno, who gave a lopsided grin and a shrug of his shoulders in reply.

"Oh yeah...that's right," Reno grinned at Sky, letting out a small sigh as he let the warmth of the fire thaw out his freezing hands and feet. "I keep forgetting about that, yo."

Sky grinned back, taking a seat closer to Reno, though not too close to the fire. Being a descendant of Shiva, it was natural that heat bothered her somewhat, while the cold did not. The little girl had reveled in the snow, playing in it all day long, for far longer than any of the other children. While the others eventually complained that they were getting too cold, Sky remained outside for as long as possible, building snow forts with Reno and Cloud, and dodging snowballs they lobbed at each other.

* * *

"Zack?" Aerith called across the ether to Zack. They communicated without any need for speaking, out here; Aerith had long grown used to it, but it frustrated the hell out of Zack, who had always liked to talk. "Zack…I want to talk to you about something. Are you there?"

"Huh?" Zack had been distracted, wondering, as he often was, what Cloud and his daughter were up to that day; if they were safe and happy.

"What would you say, Zack…if I told you I found a way to send you back?"

"Send me back? How? I've already been back, Aer – and I watch over my family all the _time_. I tuck my daughter into her bed every night – though I'm starting to think she knows something's up." He laughed sadly. "The other night her eyes opened, and she goes…'Good night, daddy.' She knew I was there."

"But you can't really hold her, or hug her – or Cloud. It's not quite the same, is it?" Aerith questioned, and Zack shrugged.

"No. No, it's not. But at least I get to watch over my family, and see my little girl grow up."

"From the other side of the Lifestream," Aerith argued gently. "Zack…what if you had a chance to go back? Would you take it?"

"N-no," Zack said slowly. "I don't think so. I don't think I could do that to Cloud. It'd freak him out. Hell, it'd freak _me _out. And…he's moved on with Reno. They're happy together, you know? I wouldn't want to bust that up."

"_Has_ he moved on? Or are you two still holding onto one another?" Aerith cut in, rather pointedly.

"Look…I know Cloud will always love me. A love like that…it can never die. But he's gone on to love again, and I don't want to take that from him – Aerith, why are you asking me all these questions? It's not like either you or me can go back – "

"Maybe not both of us," Aerith agreed. "Not both at the same time, anyway. But–for _you_ – there just might be a way."

"Uh…we're both pretty dead, Aer," Zack argued. "Plus, the Shinra army pumped me full of lead. How's that gonna work? I go back with a body full of bullet holes? I hate to sound all negative…"

"It worked for Sephiroth, didn't it?" Aerith returned. "Of course, the Lifestream was tainted then."

"Jenova – yeah. I know. So, what then? I'd come back as a monster? No thanks," Zack crossed his arms and shook his head.

"It wouldn't be like that," Aerith protested. "The taint is gone from the Lifestream…it's vanished, along with Sephiroth and the remnants."

For the first time, Zack could actually feel some of the hope he saw reflected in Aerith's eyes – but it made him feel guilty. Why should he get the chance to go back, and not Aerith? Why not both of them?

Zack had to ask the question. "But why just _me_, Aer? Why can't _both_ of us go?"

"Because… it would disrupt the balance within the Lifestream. Besides…you have a little girl to look after."

"Aerith…no." Zack shook his head. "I won't have you do this. You should get a second chance too! If anyone deserves one, it's you."

"It _has_ to be you, Zack. You have to set things right – " Aerith said in that gentle yet firm tone of hers.

"Set _what_ right?" Zack pressed, starting to feel annoyed. He hated when Aerith talked in vague riddles, though he also knew it wasn't always intentional on her part - often times the Planet didn't share all of its secrets with the Cetra all at once, revealing only bits and pieces here and there - never the full picture all at once.

"I don't have a clear vision of what's going to happen," Aerith finally admitted. "Everything's...still a bit of a jumble. But...your daughter will _need_ you, Zack. She'll need your protection, along with Cloud's and Reno's. You all need to watch over her. She's special - because she shares a bloodline with Shiva - "

"Is anyone going to try and hurt her, Aerith? I need to know," Zack demanded, his gaze boring into the Cetra's. "Cloud and Reno have taken care of her up until now, right? And Cissnei, of course...it's because of her that Sky even had a chance to begin with," he added softly, remembering that day he'd surrendered his infant daughter over to the Turk, who promised to watch over her for him.

"Someone - " Aerith sighed, squinting and shaking her head, as if trying to peer through a thick mist. "Hard to see. But the Planet is telling me...that someone is going to try and harness those powers. And not just your daughter. There are others who have special bloodlines...descendants of Ifrit, of Ramuh - and the others..." Her voice trailed off as she seemed to go back into a sort of trance, listening intently to the cries of the Planet.

"Someone? _Who_? Who's trying to do this, Aerith? There are _others_ like Sky, who have powers? Oh, Gaia - " Zack groaned, shaking his head, spitting the questions at the Cetra like a machine gun spraying bullets.

"I don't _know_, Zack!" Aerith wailed, exasperated. "Will you let me finish? _Please_!"

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry, Aerith," Zack replied glumly, hanging his head and looking a bit guilty. "I'm sorry. I just - this is a lot, you know? I mean, I've been content to watch my daughter from above..." His voice faltered a bit and fell softly. "And Cloud..."

"And Reno?" Aerith prodded. "You two used to be close, didn't you?"

"We were…." Zack admitted, frowning. "But then…I met Cloud. And Reno took up with other people – "

"He never got over you, you know," Aerith murmured gently. Zack made a confused sounding grunt and gaped at Aerith-

"I – I didn't know," Zack felt heavy again, guilt-laden. "I had no idea. Reno never said anything!"

"That's because by the time Reno figured it out…you were already with Cloud," Aerith giggled. Even in the afterlife, Zack was utterly obtuse.

"Anyway," Aerith continued brightly, "To send you back….I have help! From someone who's very close to me."

"Huh?" Zack shook his head, befuddled. "Help from _who_, Aer?"

"From my mother," Aerith replied, looking up at Zack through lowered lashes. She turned and glanced behind her, smile growing wider as Ifalna came over to join them.

"Your _mom_?" Zack just stared in disbelief as the Cetra woman came into view. "Ifalna…it's good to see you again," he said politely.

Ifalna gave a tinkling laugh; it would sound like a whisper on the breeze to anyone in the living world, but Zack could hear it as clear as a bell. "Zack...you're ever the same, darling," Ifalna said breezily.

"Ah….thanks?" Zack grinned and shrugged helplessly. He always felt like a bit of a heel around Aerith's mother, though they had broken up long ago on perfectly amiable terms.

"Are you ready, dear? There's much for you to do when you get back!" Ifalna announced airily, motioning to Aerith. "Come along, Aerith – we're ready to send him now."

"All right," Aerith nodded, giving Zack a devilish wink before joining hands with her mother. They began chanting in a strange language that Zack didn't recognize, yet somehow he knew what it was. Cetran.

"Wait – what – I'm not ready!" Zack protested, looking back and forth from Aerith to Ifalna desperately. "I'm not – I didn't pack a bag?"

"Did you pack a suitcase when you crossed over for the _first_ time, Zack?" Ifalna tittered. "Oh my, Aerith. He really is a puppy, isn't he?"

"Hey! I can hear you!" Zack cried. "Wait…" His voice faltered as Ifalna gave him a stern look; mother and daughter continued with their chanting once again, hands joined as they walked in a circle around Zack.

"Just….stand still, Zack," Aerith murmured, bowing her head. "You'll be back in just a minute." A warm wind kicked up, whirling around the trio, and Zack felt a gentle tugging as phosphorescent green lights rose, spiraling around his form.

He remembered dying, remembered lying out on the bluffs, most of his life's blood pooled around him. How shattered Cloud had looked, how scared. It had been the last time Zack had touched Cloud, while in his human form – the moment when he'd handed the buster sword over to his lover.

It had hurt so much to let go, and now Zack was getting something most people wouldn't – a second chance. As it turned out, passing back into the realm of the living was basically just dying in reverse. Glowing green filled his vision, and soon he lost sight of Ifalna and Aerith as he was swept back into the ether.

Zack gasped as blood filled his veins once again, and air filled his lungs. _Air! I'm breathing!_ He realized joyfully. He felt himself hurtling downward, faster and faster, landing with a thud on the ground, his cheek pressed against something cold.

_Wait. Wet…cold…is this **snow**?_ Zack stared at the dazzling white ground in wonder. _Did they send me back to Modeoheim by mistake? _

"Midgar! I need _Midgar_!" Zack shouted, the sound of his own voice too loud and assailing his ears. _Gods…was I always that loud?_ They didn't speak in the Lifestream, not out loud the way the living did. A woman passing by looked at Zack with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Young man?" She called out. "You're in Midgar. Of course , we call it Edge now, though some call it Midgar-Edge."

"Oh. Yeah…." Zack stared past the woman's head, toward the row of converted warehouse buildings that now served as condos.

"Are you lost?" The woman called after Zack as he turned away. He shook his head no.

"Not lost," Zack replied, squinting over at the building where he knew Cloud and Reno lived, and his heart pounded in his throat, realizing how _close_ he was to them now.

"I'm right where I need to be," Zack went on. Now….how do I not just show up on their doorstep and not freak anyone out?"


	2. A Sort of Homecoming

Newly arrived back to the realm of the living, Zack didn't rush off immediately to Cloud's doorstep, as he'd envisioned himself doing when Aerith had first come up with this _crazy_ idea of sending him back. The wintry cold air of Midgar hit Zack with a jolt, awakening his senses, and he took a moment - several moments, in fact - just standing in the middle of the town square taking it all in. The cold, crisp, air, the crunch of the snow beneath his feet as he walked. He stood stock-still in the center of town and listened to everything, amazed at the fact that he could hear anything at _all_.

His hand traveled over his arms, his chest; he was clad in winter attire that he was certain he hadn't been wearing when Aerith and Ifalna had sent him. Zack's face bore a look of wonder as he flexed his arms, then drew both hands over his chest - once riddled with bullet holes, torn open by Shinra's infantry.

_I'm whole again. My body...it's back to the way it was, before I was shot. I still have no idea how Aerith and Ifalna managed this..._

Zack closed his eyes and smiled, breathing deeply, grinning as he exhaled and watched his breath hanging in white frosty clouds in mid-air. "Wow," he murmured to himself, looking around the rebuilt city. "Not often we get snow in Midgar - " He paused, shaking his head with a smile. "Edge. I have to remember that...they call it _Edge_ now. So much has changed..."

His thoughts drifted next to Cloud - his beloved Cloud. He knew just from watching over him, and from his ghostly visitations, that Cloud had changed as well. Of course Cloud was older now, and Zack knew that he was stronger - both physically and mentally.

There were other things that had changed, most notably the fact that Cloud and Reno were in a relationship now. Not only that, they're _married_, Zack reminded himself. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, wondering what sort of reception he'd get, just waltzing back into Cloud's life like that - and waltzing back into life itself. And how would Sky react, seeing her father returning from the land of the dead like that? Zack feared she'd be frightened by his sudden appearance, or repulsed.

Although Sky was pretty receptive to communicating with her father's spirit, this was something on another level altogether. "No way to break this gently to anyone, is there?" Zack muttered to himself, smiling a bit. "Can't exactly...send them an email, or a text." He smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he trudged along.

He caught his reflection in a storefront window as he walked by, and stopped suddenly. Zack's brows narrowed into a frown as he moved his hands about his face, grabbing, manipulating, touching, while studying his own reflection. He made exaggerated faces - smiling, frowning, laughing - still feeling as though none of this was quite real. He could _feel_, again. He could see, smell, hear and -

_Taste_, Zack thought, chuckling as his stomach gave an audible growl. Yes, he would be needing food, and soon. Such mortal concerns weren't anything he'd had to worry about in a very long time.

* * *

The sun was no longer overhead, but falling westward toward the horizon; it was late afternoon now and would soon be evening. Zack's stomach rumbled even louder as he continued walking on, passing over the snow-dusted cobblestones, passing by homes where delicious scents were wafting out as the occupants bustled about, preparing their dinners.

_Supper time in Midgar - I mean, Edge_, Zack thought, mentally correcting himself, and shivering a bit as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He'd taken care to don other clothing just before the sending; the former SOLDIER figured it would not be terribly sensitive of him to show up on Cloud's doorstep wearing the same clothing he'd _died_ in.

_Yeah...me returning from the dead...it's probably going to be upsetting enough for Spikey as it is,_ Zack fretted. How was this going to go over? There was no gentle way to ease into it; Zack couldn't exactly phone Cloud first to warn him, and even if he could, what could he possibly say?

There was no turning back now, however; Zack was here, on terra firma, alive once again. He still hadn't the foggiest idea just how Aerith and Ifalna had managed to send him back, but he knew why he was here. First and foremost, to protect his daughter from whatever unknown threat Aerith had sensed.

_And maybe, just maybe...reunite with Cloud_, Zack thought hopefully. _Pick up where we left off, after he gets over the shock of seeing me. _ But Zack's happy thoughts were soon dashed as he thought of the other man now in Cloud's life.

_Reno. Gods...I can't do that to him. I can't do that to **Cloud**, either, bust up his life like that._

Looking up, little flurries of light snow sticking to his eyelashes, Zack saw he was now standing in front of Cloud and Reno's small yet cozy home. He could hear a child's laughter pealing throughout the house, and Zack's heart did a flip; his eyes widened and he smiled, realizing that he was hearing his daughter laughing for the very first time. _I missed so much,_ Zack thought sadly.

Suddenly, raucous shouting and laughter grew closer, and Zack realized that Sky was looking out the front window, waving excitedly. _ Staring right at him._

_She knew I was here. Just like she knew every time I tucked her in at night._

The front door burst open, and Sky flew out and bounded down the steps. She was dressed comfortably in sweat pants and a shirt, her feet clad only in moogle slippers, arms flung out as she ran toward Zack, laughing and crying.

"Daddy! Daddy came back!" Cloud and Reno were soon to follow, their faces registering shock at their daughter's words...then at the sight of the man who stood there in the snow. The man who had died right in Cloud's arms, so many years ago.

"Oh my fuck," Reno whispered, shaking his head, unblinking. "No...no way. It can't be - it ain't real, is it Cloud? It's just Zack's spirit, right? Like a ghost? Except this time...I can see him too... "

"No..." Cloud shook his head from side to side as he trudged slowly down the front steps in a zombie-like gait. "It's not - not a ghost..." He was unable to break his stare as he slowly walked toward Zack, mouth hanging open in disbelief. Meanwhile, Sky had launched herself at Zack with a child's unbridled impulsiveness, hugging him tightly.

Zack felt his mouth go dry as he glanced down at Sky, then up to Cloud.

"Sky...Spikey..." Zack's voiced rasped. He stooped down, swooping Sky up into his arms and hugging her tightly. "I'm back." His eyes leveled with Cloud's, and Reno took an unconscious step backward, crashing against the railing of the front steps.

"Yeah. You're back," Cloud breathed, giving Reno a quick apologetic glance. _Gods...awkward doesn't even begin to describe this_, he thought.

"How?" Cloud asked, stepping forward, swallowing hard. "I mean - " He felt a whirl of conflicting emotions; shock and joy at seeing Zack again, alive - and confusion. _I'm married now...I have Reno. How in the hell is this going to work?_ Cloud supposed he should feel a little happier to see his once-dead lover standing there, alive, but he felt utterly torn and conflicted. Happy, yes, but also guilt-ridden. Cloud couldn't imagine how Reno was feeling right now, his head was spinning with worries about everyone and everything, every single aspect of this unbelievable scenario.

Cloud remembered how it felt that day, to lose Zack; then, for his mind to suddenly and completely obliterate Zack, as if he'd never existed. _ That was almost worse than watching him die. It's like I lost him twice._

"But...I saw you die," Cloud finally heard himself saying, his voice breaking with tears as he approached Zack, finally succumbing to an awkward, stiff-armed hug between the two, ever aware of Reno's eyes on them, watching.

"Reno - " Cloud turned his head quickly, looking helplessly to his husband who merely shrugged his shoulders, a rueful grin on his face.

"Hey...Zack," Reno murmured, coughing into his hand. "Well...welcome back," he went on, stiffly. "I'll - be inside, I guess - "

"Reno, no!" Zack burst out, surprising all of them. He smiled sheepishly at Sky, then Cloud and Reno. "I mean - don't leave on my account. Maybe - we can go inside?" Zack added hopefully.

"Suit yourself," Reno shrugged his shoulders again, and opened the door, gesturing everyone inside.

* * *

"Daddy!" Sky squealed and giggled happily, and Zack laughed shakily, close to tears himself. He hugged his little girl hard, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt her little arms clasping around his neck.

"You're so big now," Zack whispered. "The last time I held you...you were a tiny little bundle in my arms."

"I know," Sky whimpered a bit, burying her face into Zack's shoulder. "But you came and visited me every night, to tuck me in - "

"Yeah...I did, baby. I did. It's not the same as hugging you like this, though. This...this is a lot better." Zack's smile faded a bit as he locked eyes with Cloud once again. They seemed even bluer than Zack had remembered; now he was really seeing again, with human eyes. All of his senses were renewed; Zack felt much like as he did the first time he'd laid eyes on Cloud, just awestruck by his beauty.

Gods, but standing there staring at him - his Cloud - but he was no longer his Cloud, was he? He was Reno's now. _This could be a terrible mistake, Aerith...maybe I shouldn't have come back at all,_ Zack thought woefully, gazing skyward. And then, of course, he thought of his daughter.

_Sky...that's why I'm here...for **her**. For my daughter. I don't know how anything else is going to work out, or if it can work out._

"Cloud - gods, it's so good to see you again," Zack began, but was interrupted by the shrill sound of Reno whistling.

"Oi! Are you guys coming in or what?" Reno snapped irritably. "Sick of holding this door open and letting all the heat out."

Sky took both Zack and Cloud by the hand, fairly dragging the two men back toward the house, beaming happily up at Reno.

"My daddy's back," Sky announced joyfully to Reno, who scowled. "My daddy was gone, but now he's back home."

"Yeah, so I gathered," he replied dryly, closing the door with a jolt behind everyone. "I'm real happy for you, kid." And he was, Reno really _was_ happy for the girl he and Cloud had helped raise together; but at the same time his heart felt as though it had splintered into a thousand little painful shards. In a flash of a moment, just like that, Reno's life was changed. His family, his husband, no longer his own. The Turk automatically assumed that with the return of Zack, that would mean he no longer had a place in his own home.

It was all too much to take, and Reno shoved rudely past Zack and Cloud, barely excusing himself.

I'll be upstairs," Reno called over his shoulder. "While you have your little reunion. I need to be alone, now."

"But...Reno..." Sky called after him, her steely blue eyes welling with tears. Her lip trembled as she heard the door slam.

"_Reno...you're my daddy too_..." And Sky began to weep, loudly and openly, Cloud swept her into his arms.

"Shh, shh...it's okay, Sky," Cloud whispered, hugging the little girl. "It's okay. Reno - he's just surprised, that's all. So am I, actually," he added with a dry chuckle, exchanging a glance with Zack. "Let's go inside...have a seat."

Zack let out a low whistle and scratched his head, groaning. "Gods, Cloud...I'm so sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have sprung it on you like this. Thing is...I didn't know any good way to let you know that I was back. That I'm alive."

"Yeah," Cloud nodded. He stood up, patting Sky on the head. "Your timing...well..." He felt strange; why wasn't he happier to see Zack?

I'm married now," Cloud murmured, ashamed that his tone was apologetic. It wasn't anything he had to apologize for; he had a life after all, he'd moved on, and now all of a sudden Zack was back in it. Cloud had no idea what to do, or how to feel, or how any of this would work.

"I know, Cloud," Zack replied. "I've been watching you and Reno - and Sky - " He coughed politely, his face reddening a bit as he recalled the last visitation he'd had with Cloud.

Apparently Cloud's thoughts were running along the same lines, for just a moment later, the blond frowned at Zack. "So that really was you...last night." Now he was torn between feeling angry with Zack and happy to see him, and he didn't really know why he should feel angry. The conflict between an old love and a new love, with Cloud being put in the middle, was already beginning to tear at him and he didn't want Sky to be caught in the middle of any of this – but she was, they all were. Sky took a seat in between Cloud and Zack, looking from one to the other with a bit of trepidation.

"Papa...aren't you happy to see my daddy?" Sky asked Cloud forlornly, her eyes wide and questioning.

"I _am_," Cloud said quickly. "Of course I am. I mean - it's just a bit of a surprise. I really have to talk to Reno, though - but...I need to talk to your father, too," he told Sky, sighing. "Zack...we really do need to talk."

"I know..." Zack replied, nodding. "And - look, Cloud - before you talk to Reno, I want you all to know something. Aerith sent me back here for a reason, and that reason concerns Sky. I'm not here to break you guys up."

Now Cloud looked confused, and shook his head. "Sky? Why...?"

Zack sighed, giving Cloud a look_. I can't say it in front of her. I don't want Sky to know she might be in danger._

"We'll talk about it later, I promise...okay?" Zack vowed. "Go talk to him. I...want to get to know my daughter, now."

"Okay..." Cloud's words sounded flat and unfeeling to his own ear, and he flinched as he spoke. "But we need to talk, Zack. We _absolutely_ need to talk."

"Yeah. Seems we have a lot to catch up on," Zack replied dryly.

Cloud nodded, and ascended back up the staircase to the master bedroom, wondering just what to say to Reno. He was pissed at him for upsetting Sky, but he also knew Reno loved that little girl. Unfortunately, Reno could be a bit possessive at times, and had a jealous streak that was normally well hidden, but Zack's sudden return from the void had unleashed it in a very ugly fashion.

He entered the room quietly, shutting the door closed behind him; Reno was sitting on the bed with his legs dangling over the side, head down and staring blankly at the carpet.

"Don't even have to tell me, I know – " Reno muttered without looking up at Cloud. "I shouldn't have snapped like that, and upset Sky the way I did. I just – "

"I know," The bed sank slightly as Cloud took a seat next to his husband, putting an arm around his waist loosely. "This was all…a bit unexpected."

"Yeah." Reno laughed sharply; he turned his head and regarded Cloud with weary eyes. "I just got scared, man. I don't want to lose you, I don't want to lose my family – "

"You're not going to," Cloud said firmly. "Reno – do you remember our vows? Do you?"

"Of course I do," he replied with a tiny smile. "We wrote them ourselves. Why?"

"Well they weren't just words. They were a promise, and now it's being tested, but I'm not going to fail you, or her. Zack came back for a reason, Reno," Cloud went on. "I don't know the specifics yet, but it's something to do with Sky, and keeping her _safe_. Whatever it is, he's going to explain in more detail later, and you're going to be a part of that conversation too."

"Sky's safety?" Reno suddenly felt his hackles rise just at the vaguest hint of any threat against their little girl. "Wonder what she needs to be kept safe from?"

"I don't know yet," Cloud repeated, shrugging his shoulders. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together. All of us, together."


End file.
